Transcript Florida Institute for the Preparation, Recruitment, and

Florida Initiative for the
Advancement of Teaching
A proposal presented by
Florida Atlantic University’s
College of Education
Gregory F. Aloia, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor
777 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431
561-297-3564
[email protected]
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10-15-2006
PBCC – FAU Collaboration
Dr. Dennis Gallon, President – PBCC
Dr. Beverly Robinson, Provost – Belle Glade
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FIAT Provides
 Increased Realistic Classroom
Experiences
 Continual and Intensive Mentoring
 Direct Support for Teacher Education
Majors
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Mission FIAT

Florida Initiative for the Advancement of Teaching
(FIAT) will provide practical, research-based,
and scalable solutions for improving Florida’s
PK-20 educational system by recruiting,
preparing, and retaining quality educators in
sufficient numbers to meet the needs of Florida
schools.

IFAS Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/
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Primary Functions
1.
Expanding the Potential Teacher Pool (Long-term)
2.
Educator Training Initiatives (Ongoing)
3.
Research and Evaluation Initiatives
4.
Organizational & Strategic Planning Activities
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1) Expanding the Potential Teacher Pool
Project Good FIT (First Introduction into Teaching)

Places college freshmen/sophomores into schools as
Instructional Interns one day a week with model
classroom teachers and principals who mentor the
students during their induction into teaching. Project
Good FIT is designed to work collaboratively with
community colleges . Each Good FIT student is paid a
stipend.
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2) Educator Training Initiatives (Ongoing)
Project SMaRT
(Substituting with Mentors and Realistic Teaching)

Places college juniors/seniors into schools as substitute
teachers one to two days a week under the supervision of a
university Master Mentor who supports the learning
experiences of substitute teachers. Each SMaRT student is
paid a stipend.

Accelerated Induction into Teaching Program (AIT)
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2) Educator Training Initiatives (Ongoing)
Project AIT (Accelerated Induction into Teaching)

Places highly qualified student teachers in their own
classrooms for one semester as the instructor of record
under the supervision of a university Master Mentor
who works with the AIT teacher every day. Each AIT
student is paid a stipend. Expand the Accelerated
Induction into Teaching Program (AIT) to two additional
Florida universities with partner school districts.
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Continuous Teacher Induction Program
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3) Research and Evaluation Initiatives
- Part 1
Initial questions identified for further investigation are:
Research Initiative Para’s to Teachers:

What is the most effective way to enable highly qualified paraprofessionals
(especially bilingual and rurally located) to complete their degrees and obtain initial
teacher certification?
Research Initiative HOME: Home Ownership and Mortgages for Educators

What strategies can be implemented to address the cost of housing in many
Florida counties for individuals relying on teacher salaries?
Research Initiative International Teacher:

What is the most effective way to recruit and support foreign-born nationals with
expertise in critical shortage areas (e.g. math and science) and train them to be
successful in managing a Florida classroom?
Research Initiative teacher longevity :

What are the reasons that teachers stay instead of leave the profession after five
years?
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4) Organizational and Strategic Planning Activities


Establish a statewide commission representing all
PK-20 institutions and agencies to…
1.
Develop a five-year strategic plan for FIAT.
2.
Provide program oversight and accountability.
Create an accountability and performance incentive
system for participating consortia members and
individual prospective teachers.
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Innovative Principles of FIAT :
Provides practical and realistic, professional experiences for prospective
teachers (FIT, SMaRT, and AIT)
1.
•
Total Professional Experience Days (FIT = 72, SMaRT=108, AIT=90) = 270
Reinvests millions of existing public dollars into effective teacher
recruitment, training, and retention. Paid Internships
2.
•
(FIT= $4,320, SMaRT= $6,480, AIT=$5,000) = $15,800
•
73% of $15,800 Reinvested = $11,534
Provides performance based scholarships for pre-service teachers who
demonstrate a professional commitment to teaching and an academic
commitment to earning their degree.
3.

Cost of replacing a teacher = $12,000-14,000* (American Management
Association 2004) Tuition FAU $13,200 4-years
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Florida Initiative for the Advancement of Teaching
FIAT
Let it be done!
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